The Hen House

The Hen House in Summer

You can't have a whole garden area named after you and stay hidden in the background of all the photographs.

Here is the famous Moosey Hen House. This is the well built, dry, and totally comfortable little structure that I sometimes wish I could live in myself.

In mid-summer the late sun shines in - and it's far away from the house and the telephone. I used to keep a couple of garden chairs in here, for late afternoon sitting and dreaming sessions.

Dry Gardens

The dry gardens to the right are now planted with Pittosporums and Hebes, and are growing remarkably well. The water race burbles past, adding to the ambience of this rustic retreat.

The Hen-House with Chicken Run

Visiting Rooster

Lately, with a visiting rooster and two hens to look after, I have been thinking about returning the Hen House to its original purpose - except the hens refuse to cross the nearby Rooster Bridge. They are too difficult to catch. The rooster has no problem - he must sense that the bridge is appropriately named - but he is extremely street-wise, as roosters go, and I cannot catch him, either.

Footnote - October 2007

I finally have some proper hens in residence! And a rooster, who seems quite superfluous, but never mind. And I love the eggs they lay. So there's no more hiding in the hen house to get away from the telephone!

A chicken run has been built, added on to the hen house. It's quite large, and gives the chooks a great place to scratch, have dust baths, and socialise.